The fastest way to average percentages in Excel
To average percentages in Excel, use the AVERAGE function on the percentage values themselves — not on the raw numbers. If you have percentages already calculated in cells (like 85%, 90%, 78%), type =AVERAGE(C2:C10) to get the mean. Excel treats percentages as decimals behind the scenes, so the function works the same way it does for any other number.
The confusion usually comes when you have raw data — like test scores out of 100 — and you need to convert those to percentages first, then average them. That requires a different approach, which we'll cover below. But if your percentages are already in cells, AVERAGE is all you need.
Key Takeaways
- Use =AVERAGE(range) directly on cells containing percentages; Excel handles the decimal conversion automatically.
- If you have raw scores and totals, calculate each percentage first with a formula like =(score/total)*100, then average those results.
- Averaging percentages is different from averaging the raw numbers — always work with the percentages themselves, not the original values.
- Format the result as a percentage by right-clicking the cell, selecting Format Cells, and choosing Percentage from the Category list.
Averaging percentages that are already calculated
If your percentages are already in your spreadsheet — perhaps as test scores, completion rates, or survey results — the AVERAGE function works directly. Click the cell where you want the result to appear, then type the formula. For example, if your percentages are in cells C2 through C10, type =AVERAGE(C2:C10) and press Enter.
Excel will return a decimal number like 0.847. To display this as a percentage, right-click the cell with your result, click Format Cells, select Percentage from the Category list on the left, and click OK. The result will now show as 84.7% or similar, depending on how many decimal places you choose.
You can also use the percentage button in the toolbar. After your formula calculates, click the cell and look for the % button in the Home tab. Click it once, and Excel will format the result as a percentage automatically.
Converting raw scores to percentages, then averaging
When you have raw data — like a student's score of 42 out of 50 on one test and 88 out of 100 on another — you need to convert each score to a percentage first. Create a helper column to calculate each percentage individually, then average those percentages.
In a new column, type a formula for the first score: =(A2/B2)*100, where A2 is the score and B2 is the total possible points. Press Enter. Copy this formula down for all your scores by clicking the cell, then dragging the small square at the bottom-right corner down to the last row of data. Now you have a column of percentages.
Once all percentages are calculated, use AVERAGE on that column. For instance, if your percentages are now in column D, type =AVERAGE(D2:D11) in a cell below and press Enter. Format the result as a percentage using the method described above.
Why you cannot average the raw numbers directly
A common mistake is trying to average the raw scores and raw totals separately, then divide them. For example, if you have scores of 42/50 and 88/100, you might think to add all scores (42+88=130) and all totals (50+100=150), then divide (130/150=86.7%). This gives the wrong answer.
The correct average is (42/50 + 88/100) / 2 = (0.84 + 0.88) / 2 = 0.86, or 86%. The difference happens because the two tests have different totals. When you average percentages, each percentage counts equally, regardless of the total points possible. Averaging the raw numbers weights the test with more total points more heavily, which is mathematically incorrect for this purpose.
Always convert to percentages first, then average those percentages. This ensures each score contributes equally to the final result.
Using AVERAGEIF to average percentages with conditions
If you want to average only certain percentages — for example, only the scores above 80% or only the results from a specific month — use AVERAGEIF. This function averages cells that meet a condition you set.
The formula structure is =AVERAGEIF(range, criteria, average_range). For example, if your percentages are in column C and you want to average only those above 80%, type =AVERAGEIF(C2:C10,">0.8"). Note that 80% is written as 0.8 in the criteria because Excel stores percentages as decimals internally. Press Enter to see the result.
If your percentages are formatted as text or if you want to reference a cell containing the threshold, you can adjust the formula. For instance, =AVERAGEIF(C2:C10,">"&D1) will average all percentages in C2:C10 that are greater than the value in cell D1. This is useful when you want to change the threshold without retyping the formula.
Handling percentages formatted as text
Sometimes percentages arrive in your spreadsheet as text — especially if they were imported from another program or pasted from a website. Excel will not calculate with text, so AVERAGE will ignore those cells or return an error. You can spot text percentages because they are left-aligned in their cells instead of right-aligned like numbers.
To convert text percentages to numbers, create a new column and use the formula =VALUE(C2), where C2 is the cell containing the text percentage. Press Enter, then copy this formula down for all text values. The VALUE function converts text to a number that Excel can use in calculations. Once converted, delete the original text column and use the new numeric column in your AVERAGE formula.
Alternatively, use Find & Replace to remove the % symbol, then format the column as percentage. Click the column header, press Ctrl+H to open Find & Replace, type % in the Find field, leave the Replace field empty, and click Replace All. Then select the column and format it as percentage using the method described earlier.
Combining AVERAGE with other functions
You can nest AVERAGE inside other formulas to create more complex calculations. For example, =ROUND(AVERAGE(C2:C10),2) will average your percentages and round the result to two decimal places. This is useful when you want a cleaner display without manually adjusting decimal places.
Another common combination is =AVERAGE(C2:C10)*100 if your percentages are stored as decimals (0.85 instead of 85%) and you want the result displayed as a whole number. However, this is usually unnecessary — formatting handles this automatically.
You can also use =IFERROR(AVERAGE(C2:C10),"No data") to display a custom message if the range is empty or contains errors. This prevents your spreadsheet from showing #DIV/0! or similar error codes when data is missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I average percentages that have different decimal places?
Yes. Excel averages the actual values regardless of how they are displayed. If one cell shows 85.5% and another shows 90%, Excel treats them as 0.855 and 0.90 and averages them correctly. The display format does not affect the calculation.
What if some cells in my range are empty?
AVERAGE automatically ignores empty cells. If you have percentages in C2, C3, C5, and C7 with empty cells in between, =AVERAGE(C2:C7) will average only the four cells with data. It will not count the empty cells as zeros.
How do I average percentages from different sheets?
Reference the other sheet by name in your formula. For example, =AVERAGE(Sheet1!C2:C10,Sheet2!C2:C10) will average percentages from column C in both Sheet1 and Sheet2. Use the sheet name followed by an exclamation mark, then the cell range.
Why does my AVERAGE formula show a decimal instead of a percentage?
The formula calculated correctly, but the cell is formatted as a number instead of a percentage. Right-click the cell, select Format Cells, choose Percentage from the Category list, and click OK. The same decimal value will now display as a percentage.
Can I average percentages if some are negative?
Yes. AVERAGE works with negative percentages just like positive ones. For example, if you have gains and losses represented as percentages, =AVERAGE(C2:C10) will correctly calculate the average, including negative values in the calculation.